1776 So-Called Dollar HK-854, Continental Restrike Dollar

Coin Details

Auction Record

$2,280 MS64 11-30-2021 Stack's Bowers

Description

Cataloged as HK-854, this tin Continental Dollar restrike carries the legendary FUGIO sundial and linked-rings design attributed to Benjamin Franklin. The Continental Dollar's design legacy extends beyond its own series: the FUGIO sundial and linked-rings motifs were adopted for the 1787 Fugio Cent, the first coin authorized by the United States Congress. Whether Franklin intended the message for Great Britain or for ordinary colonists remains debated. The Bashlow restrikes are collected both as numismatic curiosities and as accessible alternatives to the exceptionally rare 18th-century originals. The Continental Currency Dollar of 1776 is one of the most iconic pieces in early American numismatics. Its obverse features a sundial with the sun's rays, the Latin motto FUGIO ('I fly,' referring to time), and MIND YOUR BUSINESS — a rebus attributed to Benjamin Franklin meaning 'time flies, so attend to your affairs.' The reverse displays thirteen linked rings, each bearing a colony's name, surrounding AMERICAN CONGRESS and WE ARE ONE. Dies were cut by Elisha Gallaudet, a New York engraver, who struck the pieces using a makeshift private mint in Freehold, New Jersey. The original was produced in pewter, brass, and silver, though no contemporaneous authorization from the Continental Congress has been found. The Hibler-Kappen catalog, first published in 1963 by Harold E. Hibler and Charles V. Kappen as 'So-Called Dollars: An Illustrated Standard Catalog,' provides the systematic numbering system (HK numbers) used to identify and classify hundreds of American medals approximately the size of a silver dollar. The catalog has been revised and expanded in subsequent editions, with Jeff Shevlin's contributions significantly expanding the known census.

Rarity Notes

Continental Dollar variants are collected by specialists in early American numismatics.

Cross References

HK-854; PCGS #643599